Pickens County looking at 25-mill tax increase for fire protection

For my next installment in the ongoing saga of the proposed reorganization of the Pickens County fire protection system, I’d like to tell about what came out of the County Council meeting last week about how much this could cost you.

The answer is 25 mills. Or 27 mills, if you count a 2-mill add on for paying back bonds.

The bottom line is that if you own a $100,000 home, your property tax bill would go up by $100 with a 25-mill increase. Plus, you would pay an additional $1.50 per $1,000 value of your vehicle — or an extra $37.50 on a $25,000 car.

This is sure to pack the council chambers with folks wielding torches and pitchforks, although they might settle down once they get the details. Or not.

If you read my previous column on this topic, you know that the idea is to erase all the boundaries between the 13 fire districts in the county and go to a countywide fire system.

The good news is that this new tax would replace whatever you’re now paying for fire protection – if you live outside a municipality in Pickens County. Most county residents pay a subscription fee, although some pay through tax millage, depending on which fire district they live in. All of that would go away.

If you live in a municipality, you’re already paying for fire protection through your property taxes and none of this will affect you.

Nothing was decided at last Monday’s meeting, though. The council voted to schedule a special meeting to get input from all the fire chiefs and fire district boards before going forward.

Al Willimon, who pitched the proposal that has been developed by a committee appointed by the council to come up with “a master plan for fire,” said most residents would see a decrease in their fire protection bill.

But the total amount of money county residents would be paying for fire protection would increase by $1.5 million – from $6.2 million to $7.7 million.

That means, of course, that somebody is going to be paying more. That would be the folks with the more expensive houses, generally.

In 11 of the 13 current fire districts, the owners of a home worth $250,000 or more would see an increase in their fire fee, while those with properties valued at $50,000 or less would see a decrease in 11 of 13 districts. In the middle, owners of $100,000 or less home values would see a decrease in six of 13 districts, according to the committee's report.

Some of the folks living in the districts that already are paying more for the high-end properties are afraid they’ll lose the quality of protection they’ve been getting – and are willing to pay for.

Jim Miller, chairman of the Vineyards Fire District, which encompasses one of the Cliffs developments, said residents there are now paying 43 mills for fire protection.

“The powers that be have assured us we're not going to lose resources and manpower, but I don’t honestly see how that can happen,” he said.

He also questions the math that says most people will be paying less.

“That stretches credibility because they’re talking about more money,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of details that need to be presented and thought about and calculated.”

County council members questioned how the committee came up with the proposed millage rate without figuring out in detail how the additional money would be spent.

“I’m very reluctant to (say) let’s just throw a bunch of money out there,” Councilman Trey Whitehurst said.

More firetrucks, and more firefighters, topped the list of needs the committee identified.

Of the 31 pumpers now in operation, 10 average 26 years old and are used as backups. Of the 21 front line pumpers, only six are less than 10 years old, according to the committee’s report.

The districts would need to buy 15 new pumpers to comply with guidelines of the National Fire Protection Association, which would cost $5.6 million.

The county also needs tankers to provide water to areas that don’t have a water supply, Willimon said.

The proposal would streamline operations and provide money for growth, to build new stations and upgrade existing ones, and pay for additional firefighters to provide 24-hour protection in all areas. That could improve the rating that insurance companies use to decide how much to charge for fire coverage, he said.

And even if no reorganization is done, the local fire boards are going to be going to the county council asking for increases in their fees to cover the needs, he said.

There was some hemming and hawing about whether the committee had adequately consulted with officials of the various fire districts before coming up with this proposal. Willimon said they had surveyed the districts about their equipment needs but not met with the boards that govern the districts or all the fire chiefs.

That led to the idea of the special called meeting to get all of them in the room at the same time. The meeting hadn't been scheduled at last check.

It should be a fascinating gathering. There will be a lot of competing interests.

Miller said he was “encouraged” that the council wasn’t rushing into a revamp of the system, but he was concerned about whether fire chiefs would be able to candidly discuss concerns they may have in the presence of their supervisors at this next meeting.

And it’s hard to imagine that any of the current fire district boards are going to be keen on the idea of giving up their authority.

Some council members seemed opposed to the whole concept of doing away with the fire districts and going to a millage system.

“It looks like socialism – rob from the rich to give to the poor,” Councilman Wes Hendricks said.